On Thursday morning, mid-day’s report on the deplorable condition of toilets at Mulund Railway Station went viral, forcing authorities into immediate action. By noon, all toilets were cleaned, with photographs of the fresh facilities circulating widely. While the swift response is commendable, it exposes a deeper issue: the Railways proudly announce upgrades like escalators and lifts, yet fail to maintain the most basic amenity — clean toilets.
The Mulund case shows how action comes only after media reports. For over three months, toilets remained filthy just steps away from the station manager’s cabin. The maintenance tender had expired, no new contractor was appointed, and the manager failed to escalate the matter. Only after media exposure did staff scramble to act.
Before: Filthy ladies’ toilet at Mulund station left neglected for months; (right) After: Toilets scrubbed clean within hours of mid-day report going viral
“Whenever officials know of inspections in advance, everything looks perfect. But the reality is far worse,” said Madhu Kotian, president of the Mumbai Rail Pravasi Sangh, who visited the station and confirmed the neglect. He recalled calling the station manager once about a broken escalator, only to be brushed off with: “Apto escalator complaint hi karta hai” (“He always complains about the escalator”).
Kotian has demanded surprise inspections by senior Central Railway officers, arguing that complacency thrives when local officials have advance notice.
Commuters echoed the frustration. Lakshmi Pranesh shared, “My train was delayed, and I had to get off at Mulund due to an emergency. But the toilet was in such a poor state, it was unusable. I’m grateful that action was finally taken.”
Lakshmi Pranesh, commuter
The visit of Kotian and Vandana Sonavane, president of the Maharashtra Mahila Railway Pravasi Sanghatna, revealed freshly cleaned toilets on platforms one and four. Assistant Station Manager Nilesh Mehra admitted that the cleaning was now being done every hour, with two staff members deputed specifically. But when he remarked, “Instead of going to the press, why didn’t you inform us first?”, Kotian shot back that repeated complaints had gone unanswered — leaving commuters with no choice but to escalate publicly.
The issue goes beyond Mulund. Suburban stations face chronic neglect. Escalators and lifts, maintained by private contractors, often have one technician covering three to four stations. If he’s at Bhandup, Mulund commuters wait. Worse, no emergency contact numbers are displayed near these facilities.
Meanwhile, Railway Protection Force (RPF) staff shortages and poor CCTV monitoring add to safety risks. Cameras record but are not monitored live — officials only request footage after incidents.
